


So Lover if This is a Dream I Never Want to Wake Up

by bug_from_space



Series: Suspended Reality [1]
Category: Jurassic Park - All Media Types, Jurassic World Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluff with a Sad Ending, Ghosts, Supernatural Elements, This is my timeline, Time Skips, Timeline What Timeline, although I do try to keep it as close to canon, ish, mostly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 08:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16512524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bug_from_space/pseuds/bug_from_space
Summary: Claire Dearing was a sensible woman. She had always been logical, and good at what she put her mind to. She wasn’t prone to hallucinations, or mental breakdowns.





	So Lover if This is a Dream I Never Want to Wake Up

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I started this /ages/ ago, like right after JW2 came out, and I never finished it, so here.

Claire Dearing was a sensible woman. She had always been logical, and good at what she put her mind to. She wasn’t prone to hallucinations, or mental breakdowns.  
________

Claire daring was a sensible woman, so she blinked in surprise at the woman who was sitting on the edge of her bed. Phone in hand, Zara looked exactly like she remembered from the last time they had met. The grey blazer with the almost purple undertones was off, resting in her lap. And for a moment, Claire wondered if the whole encounter of Jurassic World was a bad dream. Something she had made up. A stress related breakdown maybe. But no, Shifting to lean against the headboard, the protest of her still healing bruises told her that it had happened. 

Zara turned as she noticed Claire waking up, standing up as she did, slipping the phone in her pocket. This wasn’t right, Claire thought, trying to clear her head. Zara Young was dead, eaten by the Mosasaur. (Her fault, her fault, her fault.) There was no possible way she was in Claire’s one bed hotel room, looking like nothing had happened- like she would walk out into command and resume control over the park. It wasn’t right. Claire blinked once, twice, three times trying to correct her vision. There was simply no way. After a minute of staring at her former assistant, Claire spoke, “You died.” she stated simply.

“Yes, I did.” was the response. The crisp British accent ringing in her ears, clear, undistorted, as clear as if Zara were still alive and talking to her.

“That’s not possible,” and it wasn’t. Claire Dearing was sensible, and logical, and none of any of this made sense. It wasn’t possible.”You can’t be here,” she continued. Moving to stand up, Claire took in the appearance of her former assistant- friend- lover. She looked nearly perfect. The only clue that something was off was the semi-transparency where the light fell on her. 

“I’m here, Claire.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Days passed, and Claire, doubtful as she was, started to accept the specter. The company was...nice, and sometimes, it felt like Zara was still alive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zara’s amused face greeted Claire as she slammed open the door to the one bedroom apartment she had rented. “That-” she paused, collecting her thoughts, “Pigheaded, useless human being! I knew he wasn’t a good fit. He wore board shorts to our first date. Why did I ever think…” she trailed off. To think she would have ever leted Owen have another chance! But her anger at him faded as Zara came up to her, offering a hand. Maybe it hadn’t worked out because Claire was still in love with Zara, (who was dead, but still there).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Claire looked up, eyes lifting from her phone as she noticed Zara come into the room. Physically she hadn’t changed from the first time she appeared. Not during the time that had passed, or the move from the Costa Rican hotel to her own apartment in Washington. It was still strange to see her, but it had become more normal as time passed. “Don’t forget Claire, you have the press release today.” Sitting down next to, Claire could feel the phantom’s arms wrap around her waist, chin settling on the place between her shoulder and neck. Claire nodded, closing the report on her phone.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes, Zara wasn’t there. An open space where Claire had become accustomed to Zara occupying. The other side of the bed remained empty, and there were no tea cups lying around the house- an encouragement for Claire to relax. (The fact that Zara was able to manipulate things had come as a shock.) Those days were the worst. Doubt if she was coming back plagued Claire’s thoughts, and worry for her own mental health over the fact she had grown accustomed to the ghost- hallucination? And then the next morning Zara would be there, coffee cup held out in apology. Claire never asked where she went, and Zara never offered an answer. Some questions didn’t need an answer.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A year in, and Claire had given up questioning it. “What do you want to watch?” she asked, laptop open on her lap, as Zara came in, cup of tea held in her hands, as she sat down beside Claire. “That one.” Zara pointed at one of the Netflix icons, settling comfortably into the couch beside Claire, legs curled up under her as they had occasionally back in Jurassic World.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Claire… you might want to see this.” Zara called from her position on the couch, knees drawn up under her, eyes fixed on the news. Claire walked into the living room, coffee cup in hand, sparing a look at what Zara thought she should see. “Two years after the Jurassic World tragedy on Isla Nublar, and the volcano on the island has been reclassified as active, bringing up the question: what to do about the dinosaurs that inhabit the island?” The news anchor continued talking as Claire sitting on the couch. “We have to do something. We can’t just let the dinosaurs die, because that’s what they’ll do, they’ll let them die.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Claire collapsed, heels kicked off at the door. “I give up,” she called into the empty air. Zara appeared in the space moments later, a soft smile on her face. The one that had always been reserved for Claire. “It’s no use, no one wants to work for me. I’ve been trying to find people for a month now. I have two people.” She let out a sigh, leaning her head against the back of the couch and closing her eyes.

“They’ll come, give it time.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Morning,” Zara called from the living room, coffee cup already being passed into Claire’s hands, and outfit on the bed picked out ready to go. Claire smiled, running one hand through her hair, pushing back any loose strands. Today was the unveiling of the new offices for the Dinosaur Protection Group. Finally they would have space, not just two tables pushed together in a cafe.”Thank you, Zara.”

In the past three months the group had expanded their numbers, from Claire, Erin, and Kyle, to more than twenty people. And with the ever growing worry about Isla Nublar more people had joined them, along with more funding. They were changing people’s minds. It was working.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Go to bed, Claire,” Claire stopped reaching for the now cold cup of coffee she had been drinking, the broken silence a shock. “You can finish tomorrow.” Zara continued, her figure flickering in and out of focus for a few seconds before solidifying. “No, I have to…” the protest died on her tongue at Zara’s chastising look. Shutting down her laptop, Claire brought the mug up to the sink, pouring the remains of the coffee down the drain. Zara was probably right. Maybe some sleep would be good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m going back,” was the first thing Claire said upon entering the apartment.  
“You’re what?”  
“Going back. The Lockwoods, they want to, and can save some of the dinosaurs.”  
“Are you sure this is safe?” Zara asked, after a few seconds of pause, the surprise of the announcement setting in.  
“No. But I have to do this, it’s the only way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Home. Finally, home. It felt like she had been gone so much longer than the few days that had passed. Collapsing on her bed, Claire closed her eyes, finally letting herself breathe for what felt like the first time in a week. Owen had Maisie, Zia and Franklin were alive, the dinosaurs were free. She could deal with everything else in the morning. As sleep overtook her, she could feel the familiar cool presence of Zara’s arms wrapping around her waist.  
~~~

The next morning dawned early. The fogginess of sleep fading quickly as Claire sat up, looking down at the figure of Zara. Fading and flickering in the light, not quite solid. She smiled down at Zara, smoothing away the loose strands of hair that had fallen over her face, her figure settling back to normal under her fingers.

~~~~

Claire looked at the tea covering the floor, shattered ceramic pieces spread part way across the floor.. “What happened?”   
“I dropped it. My hand… vanished.” Zara answered, holding up the hand that looked more transparent than usual, the rest of her turning just a shade more transparent.  
“It’s fine.” Claire said, grabbing a cloth to start cleaning up the mess. As Zara bent down to collect the larger pieces of broken cup, body still a little more transparent than it should be.

~~~~~~  
“Claire, wait-” Zara started reaching out for Claire, her hand passing right through the skin and bone of her lover. “Startled, Zara stepped back.”Have a good day.”

~~~~~~~

“I’m sorry.”  
It’s a soft admission in the darkness of the bedroom. It had been two weeks since her return from Isla Nublar, and Zara had been becoming increasingly harder to see, less corporeal. Tuning over to face Zara, eyes focusing for a minute to spot the rapidly disappearing shape of Zara. “No! No…” she started, reaching out to catch Zara’s wrist, but she couldn’t feel her. “You can’t leave, not now, I only just got back.” She continued, a dampness in her eyes that Claire blinked away. “I love you.”

“I love you too Claire, I always...” And then she’s gone. And Claire finds herself alone in bed. Warmth flooding her body, no familiar cool. The echo of the words hangs heavy in the room, as Claire stands up to begin the new day. She couldn’t do this now, she had to go, she had to go.

~~~~~~~

Claire Dearing was a sensible woman. It would do no good to mourn a ghost.


End file.
